Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-21
THE BAHAMA BANKS.
The Wonderful Work Accomplished by the
Rusv Coral Iusect.

The Wonderful work Accomplished Dy the
Busy Coral Insect.
There is not more interesting spot
on earth or sea than the Bahama
banks. To know about them rs you
may by leisurely sail over them of
from four to six knots an hour, as was
made by our heavily-laden but sturdy
old craft, will pay for many rough
hours experience in advance. Every
body knows that somewhere off our
Florida coast are the Bahama banks;
but whether they are banks of sand, or
mud, or oyster shells, or are the mag
zeal things they are, but few seafaring
men know or care. Even the latter
are by no means generally informed
about them, for vessels drawing more
than fifteen feet of water can not cross
them. The banks proper begin at
Matinella, opposite the Florida bay Of
st. Lucie. They extend in southeast
erly direction. gradually increasing in
width to point opposite the southeast
coast of Florida, from thence growing
narrower and preserving surface
regularity generally conforming with
the chain of islands themselves, termi-
mating in Navidad bank, just above the
northeast coast of Cuba. Their length
is nearly one thousand miles, and their
width varies from fifty to two hundred
miles. To the east they merge into the
Bahama Islands, but on the west
soundings of eight hundred fathoms
Iax In nj,
pendicular sides of the marvellous crea-
tons of marine life; for every atom of
this almost inconceivable formation is
the result of insect labor.
To secure some little fdea of this
deep-sca wonder close your eyes for a
moment and imagine chain of mount
aims, thousands of feet in height,
against ono side of which stands pre-
cipitous mass like fossilized honeycomb,
white as snow, extending thousands of
miles, and rising like wall to nearly
the elevation of the highest peaks,
and whose upper surface, for all this
distance, is us level as floor. That is
exactly what you could see here, could
the ocean be sucked dry and you DO
allowed to stand in the tremendous
channel where the Gulf stream chafes
and surges eternally.
The width of the banks at Hole in
the Wall is no more than seventy-five
miles, but the course sailed without
exception by vessels bound for Cuba
bears so far up to the south that the
distance is a trihe over one hundred
and twenty-five miles. Every inch of
this alabaster-likc surface can be seen
from your vessels deck. Station a
sailor amidships and let him "heave
the lead" every five minutes during
the whole distance, and he will call
out all day long: 1.-Two an q half
fathom, STRIP 1.-TWO an three-quarter
fathom sir!' 1.-TWO an half, STRIP
San three-quarter, sir!' until the
samcness in tone and depth would be
startling.
The water itself is remark able in
brilliancy of color and translucence.
Such shades of green were never else
where seen. The lace-like fringes OF
every wave-cap or rolling scroll Of
water is seen threaded with emerald,
glittering among the snowy white with
a sparkle, CLEAN, and simmer that
are enhancing. And what rare and
wondrous treat it Is to stand the day
through ut the vessel rails and peer
down into this crystal space where the
witching forms of sea life move in their
eternal ways and silences, with such
friendly, such loving nearness! Why,
it seems that you can step out upon
this binding floor of white, and wan
der at will with these sprites of the
sea!--Cor ~ y Post.